White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Out After Just Five Days Amid Bar Exam Controversy

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is reportedly “transitioning out” of her role, a mere five days after being appointed to the position. Al Jazeera has confirmed the development, which comes just a week after United States President Donald Trump selected her for the job.

Fox News initially reported on Friday that Trump indicated there was no immediate need to find a replacement for Zacharia. Earlier on Friday, Trump had publicly suggested to Zacharia that she should “reconsider” her position. “I don’t think Katie should be made to suffer like she’s suffering at the hands of the press,” Trump stated as he departed the White House. “I said to her, ‘Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. You think about it.’”

Zacharia mentioned that she received a call about the role last week and succeeded Karoline Leavitt. Trump had announced her appointment, describing her as an attorney. However, questions arose over the past week regarding whether Zacharia, a graduate of California’s Pepperdine University law school, had actually passed the bar exam required to practice law. In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, she confirmed that she had not passed the bar exam.

Her tenure of five days is notably shorter than Anthony Scaramucci’s 10-day stint as director of communications during Trump’s first administration. Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett commented on the situation, suggesting that the appointment and subsequent reversal could pose additional challenges for Trump as Republicans gear up for a critical midterm election. “The fact that there was that major credibility issue as well as a shaky performance is what sealed her fate,” Halkett said. “This makes the president look impulsive at a time when he’s already being criticised for not having a campaign that is really on track to win in November.”